Protein glycosylation modification in methylotrophic yeast

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides genetically engineered strains of  Pichia  capable of producing proteins with reduced glycosylation. In particular, the genetically engineered strains of the present invention are capable of expressing either or both of an α-1,2-mannosidase and glucosidase II. The genetically engineered strains of the present invention can be further modified such that the OCH1 gene is disrupted. Methods of producing glycoproteins with reduced glycosylation using such genetically engineered stains of  Pichia  are also provided.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/424,924, filed Apr. 16, 2009, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/672,484, filed Sep. 25, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,354,268, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/896,594, filed Jun. 29, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,803,225, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/215,676, filed Jun. 30, 2000.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to methods and vectors useful for genetically modifying the glycosylation process in methylotrophic yeast strains for the purpose of producing glycoproteins with reduced glycosylation. The present invention further relates to methylotrophic yeast strains generated using the present methods and vectors, as well as glycoproteins produced from such genetically modified strains.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The methylotrophic yeasts including Pichia pastoris have been widely used for production of recombinant proteins of commercial or medical importance. However, production and medical applications of some therapeutic glycoproteins can be hampered by the differences in the protein-linked carbohydrate biosynthesis between these yeasts and the target organism such as a mammalian subject.

Protein N-glycosylation originates in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), where an N-linked oligosaccharide (Glc₃Man₉GlcNAc₂) assembled on dolichol (a lipid carrier intermediate) is transferred to the appropriate Asn of a nascent protein. This is an event common to all eukaryotic N-linked glycoproteins. The three glucose residues and one specific α-1,2-linked mannose residue are removed by specific glucosidases and an α-1,2-mannosidase in the ER, resulting in the core oligosaccharide structure, Man₈GlcNAc₂. The protein with this core sugar structure is transported to the Golgi apparatus where the sugar moiety undergoes various modifications. There are significant differences in the modifications of the sugar chain in the Golgi apparatus between yeast and higher eukaryotes.

In mammalian cells, the modification of the sugar chain proceeds via 3 different pathways depending on the protein moiety to which it is added. That is, (1) the core sugar chain does not change; (2) the core sugar chain is changed by adding the N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate moiety (GlcNAc-1-P) in UDP-N-acetyl glucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc) to the 6-position of mannose in the core sugar chain, followed by removing the GlcNAc moiety to form an acidic sugar chain in the glycoprotein; or (3) the core sugar chain is first converted into Man₅GlcNAc₂ by removing 3 mannose residues with mannosidase I; Man₅GlcNAc₂ is further modified by adding GlcNAc and removing 2 more mannose residues, followed by sequentially adding GlcNAc, galactose (Gal), and N-acetylneuraminic acid (also called sialic acid (NeuNAc)) to form various hybrid or complex sugar chains (R. Kornfeld and S. Kornfeld, Ann. Rev. Biochem. 54: 631-664, 1985; Chiba et al J. Biol. Chem. 273: 26298-26304, 1998).

In yeast, the modification of the sugar chain in the Golgi involves a series of additions of mannose residues by different mannosyltransferases (“outer chain” glycosylation). The structure of the outer chain glycosylation is specific to the organisms, typically with more than 50 mannose residues in S. cerevisiae, and most commonly with structures smaller than Man₁₄GlcNAc₂ in Pichia pastoris. This yeast-specific outer chain glycosylation of the high mannose type is also denoted hyperglycosylation.

Hyperglycosylation is often undesired since it leads to heterogeneity of a recombinant protein product in both carbohydrate composition and molecular weight, which may complicate the protein purification. The specific activity (units/weight) of hyperglycosylated enzymes may be lowered by the increased portion of carbohydrate. In addition, the outer chain glycosylation is strongly immunogenic which is undesirable in a therapeutic application. Moreover, the large outer chain sugar can mask the immunogenic determinants of a therapeutic protein. For example, the influenza neuraminidase (NA) expressed in P. pastoris is glycosylated with N-glycans containing up to 30-40 mannose residues. The hyperglycosylated NA has a reduced immunogenicity in mice, as the variable and immunodominant surface loops on top of the NA molecule are masked by the N-glycans (Martinet et al. Eur J. Biochem. 247: 332-338, 1997).

Therefore, it is desirable to genetically engineer methylotrophic yeast strains in which glycosylation of proteins can be manipulated and from which recombinant proteins can be produced that would not be compromised in structure or function by large N-glycan side chains.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to methods and vectors useful for genetically modifying the glycosylation process in methylotrophic yeast strains to produce glycoproteins with reduced glycosylation. Methylotrophic yeast strains generated using the present methods and vectors, as well as glycoproteins produced from such genetically modified strains are also provided.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides vectors useful for making genetically engineered methylotrophic yeast strains which are capable of producing glycoproteins with reduced glycosylation.

In one aspect, the present invention provides “knock-in” vectors which are capable of expressing in a methylotrophic yeast strain one or more proteins whose enzymatic activities lead to a reduction of glycosylation in glycoproteins produced by the methylotrophic yeast strain.

In a preferred embodiment, the knock-in vectors of the present invention include a nucleotide sequence coding for an α-1,2-mannosidase or a functional part thereof and are capable of expressing the α-1,2-mannosidase or the functional part in a methylotrophic yeast strain. A preferred nucleotide sequence is a nucleotide sequence encoding the α-1,2-mannosidase of a fungal species, and more preferably, Trichoderma reesei. Preferably, the α-1,2-mannosidase expression vector is engineered such that the α-1,2-mannosidase or a functional part thereof expressed from the vector includes an ER-retention signal. A preferred ER-retention signal is HDEL (SEQ ID NO: 1). The α-1,2-mannosidase coding sequence can be operable linked to a constitutive or inducible promoter, and a 3′ termination sequence. The vectors can be integrative vectors or replicative vectors. Particularly preferred α-1,2-mannosidase expression vectors include pGAPZMFManHDEL, pGAPZMFManMycHDEL, pPICZBMFManMycHDEL, pGAPZmManHDEL, pGAPZmMycManHDEL, pPIC9 mMycManHDEL and pGAPZmMycManHDEL.

In another preferred embodiment, the knock-in vectors of the present invention include a sequence coding for a glucosidase II or a functional part thereof and are capable of expressing the glucosidase II or the functional part in a methylotrophic yeast strain. A preferred nucleotide sequence is a nucleotide sequence encoding the glucosidase II of a fungal species, and more preferably, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Preferably, the glucosidase II expression vector is engineered such that the glucosidase II or a functional part thereof expressed from the vector includes an ER-retention signal. A preferred ER-retention signal is HDEL (SEQ ID NO: 1). The glucosidase II coding sequence can be operable linked to a constitutive or inducible promoter, and a 3′ termination sequence. The vectors can be integrative vectors or replicative vectors. Particularly preferred glucosidase II expression vectors include pGAPZAGLSII, pPICZAGLSII, pAOX2ZAGLSII, pYPTIZAGLSII, pGAPADEglsII, pPICADEglsII, pAOX2ADEglsII, pYPTIADEglsII, pGAPZAglsIIHDEL and pGAPADEglsIIHDEL.

Expression vectors which include both of an α-1,2-mannosidase expression unit and a glucosidase II expression unit are also provided by the present invention.

In another aspect, the present invention provides “knock-out” vectors which, when introduced into a methylotrophic yeast strain, inactivate or disrupt a gene thereby facilitating the reduction in the glycosylation of glycoproteins produced in the methylotrophic yeast strain.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a “knock-out” vector which, when introduced into a methylotrophic yeast strain, inactivates or disrupts the Och1 gene. A preferred Och1 knock-out vector is pBLURA5′PpOCH1.

Still another embodiment of the present invention provides vectors which include both a knock-in unit and a knock-out unit.

Furthermore, any of the knock-in or knock-out vectors of the present invention can also include a nucleotide sequence capable of expressing a heterologous protein of interest in a methylotrophic yeast.

Another embodiment of the present invention provides methods of modifying the glycosylation in a methylotrophic yeast by transforming the yeast with one or more vectors of the present invention.

Strains of a methylotrophic yeast which can be modified using the present methods include, but are not limited to, yeast strains capable of growth on methanol such as yeasts of the genera Candida, Hansenula, Torulopsis, and Pichia. Preferred methylotrophic yeasts are of the genus Pichia. Especially preferred are Pichia pastoris strains GS115 (NRRL Y-15851), GS190 (NRRL Y-18014), PPF1 (NRRL Y-18017), PPY120H, yGC4, and strains derived therefrom. Methylotrophic yeast strains which can be modified using the present methods also include those methylotrophic yeast strains which have been engineered to express one or more heterologous proteins of interest. The glycosylation on the heterologous proteins expressed from these previously genetically engineered strains can be reduced by transforming such strains with one or more of the vectors of the present invention

Methylotrophic yeast strains which are modified by practicing the present methods are provided in another embodiment of the present invention.

A further aspect of the present invention is directed to methods of producing glycoproteins with a reduced glycosylation.

In accordance with such methods, a nucleotide sequence capable of expressing a glycoprotein can be introduced into a methylotrophic yeast strain which has previously been transformed with one or more of the vectors of the present invention. Alternatively, a methylotrophic yeast strain which has been genetically engineered to express a glycoprotein can be transformed with one or more of the vectors of the present invention. Moreover, if a methylotrophic yeast strain is not transformed with a nucleotide sequence encoding a glycoprotein of interest or any of the vectors of the present invention, such yeast strain can be transformed, either consecutively or simultaneously, with both a nucleotide sequence capable of expressing the glycoprotein and one or more vectors of the present invention. Additionally, a methylotrophic yeast strain can be transformed with one or more of the present knock-in and/or knock-out vectors which also include a nucleotide sequence capable of expressing a glycoprotein in the methylotrophic yeast strain.

Glycoproteins products produced by using the methods of the present invention, i.e., glycoproteins with reduced N-glycosylation, are also part of the present invention.

Kits which include one or more of the vectors of the present invention, or one or more strains modified to produce glycoproteins with reduced glycosylation, are also provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts vectors carrying an HDEL (SEQ ID NO: 1)-tagged Trichoderma reesei α-1,2-mannosidase expression cassette and describes the way in which these vectors were constructed according to methods known in the art. Abbreviations used throughout construction schemes: 5′ AOX1 or AOX1 P: Pichia pastoris AOX1 promoter sequence; Amp R: ampicillin resistance gene; ColE1: ColE1 origin of replication; 3′AOX1: 3′ sequences of the Pichia pastoris AOX1 gene; HIS4: HIS4 gene of Pichia pastoris. AOX TT: transcription terminator sequence of the Pichia pastoris AOX1 gene; ORF: open reading frame; S: secretion signal; P TEF1: the promoter sequence of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae transcription elongation factor 1 gene; P EM7: synthetic constitutive prokaryotic promotor EM7; Zeocin: Zeocin resistance gene; CYC1 TT: 3′ end of the S. cerevisiae CYC1 gene; GAP: promoter sequence of the Pichia pastoris glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene; PpURA3: Pichia pastoris URA3 gene. As can be seen in this figure, the Trichoderma reesei α-1,2-mannosidase was operably linked to the coding sequence for the S. cerevisiae α-mating factor secretion signal sequence and further operably linked at the 3′ terminus of the coding sequence to the coding sequence for an HDEL (SEQ ID NO: 1) peptide. The whole fusion construct was operably linked to either the P. pastoris AOX1 promoter (in pPIC9MFManHDEL) or to the P. pastoris GAP promotor (in pGAPZMFManHDEL).

FIG. 2 depicts vectors carrying an HDEL (SEQ ID NO: 1)-tagged Mus musculus α-1,2-mannosidase IB expression cassette and describes the way in which these vectors were constructed according to methods known in the art. As can be seen in this figure, the catalytic domain of the Mus musculus α-1,2-mannosidase IB was operably linked to the coding sequence for the S. cerevisiae α-mating factor secretion signal sequence and further operably linked at the 3′ terminus of the coding sequence to the coding sequence for an HDEL (SEQ ID NO: 1) peptide. The whole fusion construct was operably linked to either the P. pastoris AOX1 promoter (in pPIC9 mManHDEL) or to the P. pastoris GAP promotor (in pGAPZmManHDEL). Furthermore, variants of the expression cassette were made in which the coding sequence for a cMyc epitope tag was inserted between the coding sequence for the S. cerevisiae α-Mating Factor secretion signal sequence and the coding sequence for the catalytic domain of the Mus musculus α-1,2-mannosidase IB. This expression cassette was also operably linked to either the P. pastoris AOX1 promoter (in pPIC9 mMycManHDEL) or to the P. pastoris GAP promotor (in pGAPZmMycManHDEL).

FIG. 3 depicts vectors carrying a MycHDEL tagged Trichoderma reesei α-1,2-mannosidase and the way in which these vectors were obtained. The resulting fusion construction was again operably linked to either the P. pastoris AOX1 promoter (in pPICZBMFManMycHDEL) or to the P. pastoris GAP promotor (in pGAPZMFManMycHDEL).

FIG. 4 demonstrates the intracellular localization of the MycHDEL-tagged Trichoderma reesei α-1,2-mannosidase and indicates ER-targeting by immunofluorescence analysis. Panel A Western blotting. Yeast strains were grown in 10 ml YPG cultures to an OD₆₀₀=10, diluted fivefold and grown in YPM for 48 h. 1/50th of the culture medium and 1/65th of the cells were analysed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting with the mouse monoclonal 9E10 anti-Myc antibody. The position of molecular weight marker proteins are indicated with arrows. Lanes 1-5: cellular lysates. 1,2: pGAPZMFManMycHDEL transformants. 3: non-transformed PPY12OH (negative control). 4,5: pPICZBMFManMycHDEL transformants. Lanes 6-10: culture media. 6: non transformed PPY12OH (negative control). 7,8: pGAPZMFManMycHDEL transformants. 9,10: pPICZBMFManMycHDEL transformants. Panel B Immunofluorescence microscopy. 1: phase contrast image of a P. pastoris cell (strain PPY12OH transformed with pGAPZMFManHDEL) at 1000× magnification. The nucleus is visible as an ellipse in the lower right quadrant of the cell. 2: same cell as in 1, but in fluorescence microscopy mode to show localization of the T. reesei mannosidase-Myc-HDEL protein. The protein is mainly localized in a circular distribution around the nucleus (nuclear envelope), which is typical for an endoplasmic reticulum steady-state distribution. 3: phase contrast image of a P. pastoris cell (strain PPY12OH transformed with pGAPZMFManHDEL) at 1000× magnification. 4: same cell in fluorescence microscopy to show localization of the Golgi marker protein OCH1-HA in P. pastoris strain PPY12OH. The dot-like distribution throughout the cytoplasm, with 3-4 dots per cell is typical for cis-Golgi distribution in P. pastoris.

FIG. 5 depicts the co-sedimentation of mannosidase-MycHDEL with Protein Disulfide Isomerase in sucrose density gradient centrifugation. The top panel shows the distribution over the different fractions of the sucrose gradient of the OCH1-HA Golgi marker protein. The middle panel shows this distribution for the Protein Disulfide Isomerase endoplasmic reticulum marker protein. Finally, the bottom panel shows the distribution of the MycHDEL-tagged Trichoderma reesei α-1,2-mannosidase over the same fractions. It is concluded that the mannosidase-MycHDEL almost exactly matches the distribution of the ER marker PDI and thus mainly resides in the ER of the Pichia pastoris yeast cells.

FIG. 6 depicts the N-glycan analysis of Trypanosoma cruzi trans-sialidase coexpressed with Trichoderma reesei mannosidase-HDEL. Panel A: malto-oligosaccharide size reference ladder. Sizes of the glycans are expressed in Glucose Units (GU) by comparison of their electrophoretic mobility to the mobility of these malto-oligosaccharides. Panel B: N-glycans derived from recombinant Trypanosoma cruzi trans-sialidase expressed in Pichia pastoris. The peak at GU=9,2 corresponds to Man₈GlcNAc₂. Panel C: same analytes as panel 2, but after overnight treatment with 3 U/ml purified recombinant T. reesei α-1,2-mannosidase. Panel D: N-glycans derived from recombinant trans-sialidase co-expressed in Pichia pastoris with T. reesei mannosidase-HDEL (under control of the GAP promotor). The peak at GU=7,6 corresponds to the Man₅GlcNAc₂ peak in the profile of RNase B (Panel F). Panel E: same analytes as panel D, but after overnight treatment with 3 mU/ml purified recombinant T. reesei α-1,2-mannosidase. Panel F: N-glycans derived from bovine RNase B. These glycans consist of Man₅GlcNAc₂ to Man₈GlcNAc₂. Different isomers are resolved, accounting for the number of peaks for Man₇GlcNAc₂.

FIG. 7 depicts the processing of influenza haemagglutinin N-glycans by HDEL (SEQ ID NO: 1)-tagged Trichoderma reesei α-1,2-mannosidase and the HDEL (SEQ ID NO: 1)-tagged catalytic domain of murine α-1,2-mannosidase IB. The Man₅GlcNAc₂ reference oligosaccharide runs at scan 1850 in this analysis (not shown). Panel 1: malto-oligosaccharide size reference ladder. Panel 2: N-glycans derived from recombinant influenza haemagglutinin expressed in Pichia pastoris. The peak at scan 2250 corresponds to Man₉GlcNAc₂ Panel 3: N-glycans derived from recombinant haemagglutinin co-expressed in Pichia pastoris with T. reesei mannosidase-HDEL (under control of the GAP promotor). The peak at scan 1950 corresponds to Man₆GlcNAc₂. Panel 4: Same analytes as for panel 3, but after overnight treatment with 30 mU purified recombinant T. reesei 1,2-mannosidase. Panel 5: N-glycans derived from recombinant haemagglutinin co-expressed in Pichia pastoris with mouse mannosidase IB-HDEL (under control of the GAP promotor). Panel 6: same analytes as for panel 5, but after overnight treatment with 30 mU purified recombinant T. reesei α-1,2-mannosidase.

FIG. 8 graphically depicts vector pBLURA5′PpOCH1 and the way in which it was constructed.

FIG. 9 depicts the scheme for disrupting the Pichia pastoris OCH1 gene by single homologous recombination using pBLURA5′PpOCH1.

FIG. 10 depicts the cell wall glycoprotein N-glycan analysis of the Och1-inactivated clone and three clones derived from this Och1-inactivated clone by transformation with pGAPZMFManHDEL. Panel 1 shows the analysis of a mixture of malto-oligosaccharides, the degree of polymerisation of which is given by the numbers on the very top of the figure. This analysis serves as a size reference for the other panels. On the vertical axis of all panels, peak intensity in relative fluorescence units is given. Panel 2-6: analysis of the cell wall glycoprotein N-glycans of the following strains: Panel 2, non-engineered P. pastoris strain yGC4; Panel 3, yGC4 transformed with pBLURA5′PpOch1; 4-6, three clones of the strain of Panel 3, supplementarily transformed with pGAPZMFManHDEL. Panel 7: the N-glycans derived from bovine RNaseB, consisting of a mixture of Man₅₋₉GlcNAc₂. As can be seen from comparison between panel 2 and 3 and reference to panel 7, transformation with pBLURA5′PpOch1 leads to a strongly increased abundance of the Man₈GlcNAc₂ substrate N-glycan (named peak 1 in Panel 2) of OCH1p. Peak 2 represents the Man₉GlcNAc₂ product of OCH1p. Furthermore, upon supplementary transformation of pGAPZMFManHDEL, the major glycan on the cell wall glycoproteins of three independent clones is the Man₅GlcNAc₂ end product (peak 3 in panel 4) of T. reesei α-1,2-mannosidase digestion of the Man₈GlcNAc₂ substrate.

FIG. 11 depicts the analysis of exactly the same glycan mixtures as in FIG. 10, but after an in vitro digest with 3 mU/ml purified Trichoderma reesei α-1,2-mannosidase, overnight in 20 mM sodium acetate pH=5.0. Axis assignment is the same as in FIG. 10. More Man₅GlcNAc₂ is formed in the pBLURA5′PpOch1 transformed strain (Panel 3) than in the parent strain (Panel 2). Peaks in all panels before scan 3900 come from contaminants and should be ignored in the analysis.

FIG. 12 depicts the expression vector pGAPZAGLSII (SEQ ID NO: 18). P TEF1: promotor of S. cerevisiae transcription elongation factor gene. P Em7: synthetic prokaryotic promotor. Zeocin: zeocine resistance marker gene. CYC1 TT: transcription terminator of S. cerevisiae cytochrome C1 gene. Col E1: bacterial origin of replication. GAP: promotor of the P. pasttoris GAP gene. GLS2: S. cerevisiae glucosidase II gene. AOX1 TT: transcription terminator of the P. pastoris AOX1 gene

FIG. 13 depicts the expression vector pAOX2ZAGLSII (SEQ ID NO: 16). P TEF1: promotor of S. cerevisiae transcription elongation factor gene. P Em7: synthetic prokaryotic promotor. Zeocin: zeocine resistance marker gene. CYC1 TT: transcription terminator of S. cerevisiae cytochrome C1 gene. Col E1: bacterial origin of replication. AOX2 P: promotor of the P. pastoris AOX2 gene. GLS2: S. cerevisiae glucosidase II gene. AOX1 TT: transcription terminator of the P. pastoris AOX1 gene

FIG. 14 depicts the expression vector pPICZAGLSII (SEQ ID NO: 20). P TEF1: promotor of S. cerevisiae transcription elongation factor gene. P Em7: synthetic prokaryotic promotor. Zeocin: zeocine resistance marker gene. CYC1 TT: transcription terminator of S. cerevisiae cytochrome C1 gene. Col E1: origin of replication. AOX1 P: promotor of the P. pastoris AOX1 gene. GLS2: S. cerevisiae glucosidase II gene. AOX1 TT: transcription terminator of the P. pastoris AOX1 gene

FIG. 15 depicts the expression vector pYPT1ZAGLSII (SEQ ID NO: 22). P TEF1: promotor of S. cerevisiae transcription elongation factor gene. P Em7: synthetic prokaryotic promotor. Zeocin: zeocine resistance marker gene. CYC1 TT: transcription terminator of S. cerevisiae cytochrome C1 gene. Col E1: origin of replication. P YPT1: promotor of the P. pastoris YPT1 gene. GLS2: S. cerevisiae glucosidase II gene. AOX1 TT: transcription terminator of the P. pastoris AOX1 gene.

FIG. 16 depicts the expression vector pGAPADE1glsII (SEQ ID NO: 19). Amp R: Ampillicin resistance marker gene. ADE1: P. pastoris ADE1 selection marker gene. GAP: promotor of the P. Pastoris GAP gene. GLS2: S. cerevisiae glucosidase II gene. AOX1 TT: transcription terminator of the P. pastoris AOX1 gene

FIG. 17 depicts the expression vector pAOX2ADE1glsII (SEQ ID NO: 17). Amp R: Ampillicin resistance marker gene. ADE1: P. pastoris ADE1 selection marker gene. AOX2 P: promotor of the P. pastoris AOX2 gene. GLS2: S. cerevisiae glucosidase II gene. AOX1 TT: transcription terminator of the P. pastoris AOX1 gene.

FIG. 18 depicts the expression vector pPICADE1glsII (SEQ ID NO: 21). Amp R: Ampillicin resistance marker gene. ADE1: P. pastoris ADE1 selection marker gene. AOX1 P: promotor of the P. pastoris AOX1 gene. GLS2: S. cerevisiae glucosidase II gene. AOX1 TT: transcription terminator of the P. pastoris AOX1 gene.

FIG. 19 depicts the expression vector pYPT1ADE1glsII (SEQ ID NO: 23). Amp R: Ampillicin resistance marker gene. ADE1: P. pastoris ADE1 selection marker gene. P YPT1: promotor of the P. pastoris YPT1 gene. GLS2: S. cerevisiae glucosidase II gene. AOX1 TT: transcription terminator of the P. pastoris AOX1 gene.

FIG. 20 depicts the expression vector pGAPZAglsIIHDEL (SEQ ID NO: 24). Amp R: Ampillicin resistance marker gene. ADE1: P. pastoris ADE1 selection marker gene. GAP: promotor of the P. pastoris GAP gene. GLS2: S. cerevisiae glucosidase II gene. AOX1 TT: transcription terminator of the P. pastoris AOX1 gene.

FIG. 21 depicts the expression vector pGAPADE1glsIIHDEL (SEQ ID NO: 25). P TEF1: promotor of S. cerevisiae transcription elongation factor gene. P Em7: synthetic prokaryotic promotor. Zeocin: zeocine resistance marker gene. CYC1 TT: transcription terminator of S. cerevisiae cytochrome C1 gene. Col E1: bacterial origin of replication. GAP: promotor of the P. pastoris GAP gene. GLS2: S. cerevisiae glucosidase II gene. AOX1 TT: transcription terminator of the P. pastoris AOX1 gene.

FIG. 22 depicts the test of the GLSII activity assay using a commercially available yeast alpha-glucosidase (Sigma: Cat. No. G-5003). The assay mixture contains phosphate-citrate buffer pH 6.8, mannose, 2-deoxy-D-glucose, the substrate 4-methylumbellyferyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside and alpha-glucosidase from Sigma. 1: assay mixture illuminated with UV-light after overnight incubation at 37° C.; 2: same as 1, but this time, the assay mixture lacks the alpha-glucosidase; 3: same as 1, but this time, the assay mixture lacks the substrate.

FIG. 23 depicts the results of the activity of recombinantly expressed GLSII from Pichia pastoris. All assay mixtures were incubated overnight at 37° C. and afterwards illuminated with UV-light. 1: assay with yeast alpha-glucosidase (Sigma: Cat. No. G-5003); 2: assay with the purified medium of strain 18 (PPY12-OH transformed with pGAPZAGLSII); 3: assay with purified medium of the WT PPY12-OH strain; 4: assay with the purified medium of strain H3 (PPY12-OH transformed with pGAPZAglsIIHDEL).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It has been established that the majority of N-glycans on glycoproteins leaving the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of Pichia have the core Man₈GlcNAc₂ oligosaccharide structure. After the proteins are transported from the ER to the Golgi apparatus, additional mannose residues are added to this core sugar moiety by different mannosyltransferases, resulting in glycoproteins with large mannose side chains. Such hyperglycosylation of recombinant glycoproteins is undesirable in many instances. Accordingly, the present invention provides methods and vectors for genetically modifying methylotrophic yeast strains to produce glycoproteins with reduced glycosylation. Methylotrophic yeast strains generated using the present methods and vectors, as well as glycoproteins produced from such genetically modified strains are also provided.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides vectors useful for genetically modifying methylotrophic yeast strains to produce glycoproteins with reduced glycosylation.

In one aspect, the present invention provides “knock-in” vectors which are capable of expressing in a methylotrophic yeast strain one or more proteins whose enzymatic activities lead to a reduction of glycosylation in glycoproteins produced by the methylotrophic yeast strain. According to the present invention, such proteins include, e.g., an α-1,2-mannosidase, a glucosidase II, or functional parts thereof.

In a preferred embodiment, the vectors of the present invention include a sequence coding for an α-1,2-mannosidase or a functional part thereof and are capable of expressing the α-1,2-mannosidase or the functional part in a methylotrophic yeast strain.

An α-1,2-mannosidase cleaves the α-1,2-linked mannose residues at the non-reducing ends of Man₈GlcNAc₂, and converts this core oligosaccharide on glycoproteins to Man₅GlcNAc₂. In vitro, Man₅GlcNAc₂ is a very poor substrate for any Pichia Golgi mannosyltransferase, i.e., mannose residues can not be added to this sugar structure. On the other hand, Man₅GlcNAc₂ is the acceptor substrate for the mammalian N-acetylglucosaminyl-transferase I and is an intermediate for the hybrid- and complex-type sugar chains characteristic of mammalian glycoproteins. Thus, by way of introducing an α-1,2-mannosidase into methylotrophic yeasts such as Pichia, glycoproteins with reduced mannose content can be produced.

According to the present invention, the nucleotide sequence encoding an α-1,2-mannosidase for use in the expression vector of the present invention can derive from any species. A number of α-1,2-mannosidase genes have been cloned and are available to those skilled in the art, including mammalian genes encoding, e.g., a murine α-1,2-mannosidase (Herscovics et al. J. Biol. Chem. 269: 9864-9871, 1994), a rabbit α-1,2-mannosidase (Lal et al. J. Biol. Chem. 269: 9872-9881, 1994) or a human α-1,2-mannosidase (Tremblay et al. Glycobiology 8: 585-595, 1998), as well as fungal genes encoding, e.g., an Aspergillus α-1,2-mannosidase (msdS gene), a Trichoderma reesei α-1,2-mannosidase (Maras et al. J. Biotechnol. 77: 255-263, 2000), or a Saccharomyces cerevisiae α-1,2-mannosidase. Protein sequence analysis has revealed a high degree of conservation among the eukaryotic α-1,2-mannosidases identified so far.

Preferably, the nucleotide sequence for use in the present vectors encodes a fungal α-1,2-mannosidase, more preferably, a Trichoderma reesei α-1,2-mannosidase, and more particularly, the Trichoderma reesei α-1,2-mannosidase described by Maras et al. J. Biotechnol. 77: 255-63 (2000).

According to the present invention, the nucleotide sequence can also code for only a functional part of an α-1,2-mannosidase.

By “functional part” is meant a polypeptide fragment of an α-1,2-mannosidase which substantially retains the enzymatic activity of the full-length protein. By “substantially” is meant at least about 40%, or preferably, at least 50% or more of the enzymatic activity of the full-length α-1,2-mannosidase is retained. For example, as illustrated by the present invention, the catalytic domain of the murine α-1,2-mannosidase IB constitutes a “functional part” of the murine α-1,2-mannosidase IB. Those skilled in the art can readily identify and make functional parts of an α-1,2-mannosidase using a combination of techniques known in the art. Predictions of the portions of an α-1,2-mannosidase essential to or sufficient to confer the enzymatic activity can be made based on analysis of the protein sequence. The activity of a portion of an α-1,2-mannosidase of interest, expressed and purified from an appropriate expression system, can be verified using in vitro or in vivo assays described hereinbelow.

In accordance with the present invention, an α-1,2-mannosidase or a functional part thereof expressed in a methylotrophic yeast strain preferably is targeted to a site in the secretory pathway where Man₈GlcNAc₂ (the substrate of α-1,2-mannosidase) is already formed on a glycoprotein, but has not reached a Golgi glycosyltransferase which elongates the sugar chain with additional mannose residues.

Accordingly, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the α-1,2-mannosidase expression vector is engineered as such that the α-1,2-mannosidase or a functional part thereof expressed from the vector includes an ER-retention signal.

“An ER retention signal” refers to a peptide sequence which directs a protein having such peptide sequence to be transported to and retained in the ER. Such ER retention sequences are often found in proteins that reside and function in the ER.

Multiple choices of ER retention signals are available to those skilled in the art, e.g., the first 21 amino acid residues of the S. cerevisiae ER protein MNS1 (Martinet et al. Biotechnology Letters 20: 1171-1177, 1998). A preferred ER retention signal for use in the present invention is peptide HDEL (SEQ ID NO: 1). The HDEL (SEQ ID NO: 1) peptide sequence, found in the C-terminus of a number of yeast proteins, acts as a retention/retrieval signal for the ER (Pelham EMBO J. 7: 913-918, 1988). Proteins with an HDEL (SEQ ID NO: 1) sequence are bound by a membrane-bound receptor (Erd2p) and then enter a retrograde transport pathway for return to the ER from the Golgi apparatus.

According to the present invention, an ER retention signal can be placed anywhere in the protein sequence of an α-1,2-mannosidase, but preferably at the C-terminus of the α-1,2-mannosidase.

The α-1,2-mannosidase for use in the present invention can be further modified, e.g., by insertion of an epitope tag to which antibodies are available, such as Myc, HA, FLAG and His6 tags well-known in the art. An epitope-tagged α-1,2-mannosidase can be conveniently purified, or monitored for both expression and intracellular localization.

An ER retention signal and an epitope tag can be readily introduced into a protein of interest by inserting nucleotide sequences coding for such signal or tag into the nucleotide sequence encoding the protein of interest, using any of the molecular biology techniques known in the art.

In another preferred embodiment, the vectors of the present invention include a sequence coding for a glucosidase II or a functional part thereof and are capable of expressing the glucosidase II or the functional part in the methylotrophic yeast strain.

It has been established that the initial N-linked oligosaccharide (Glc₃Man₉GlcNAc₂), transferred in the ER onto a protein, is cleaved in the ER by specific glucosidases to remove the glucose residues, and by a mannosidase to remove one specific α-1,2-linked mannose. It has been observed by the present inventors that some recombinant proteins expressed in Pichia have residual glucose residues on the sugar moiety when such proteins leave the ER for the Golgi apparatus. The residual glucose molecules present on the sugar structure prevent the complete digestion of the sugar moiety by an α-1,2-mannosidase, and the introduction of an exogenous glucosidase can facilitate the removal of these glucose residues.

According to the present invention, the nucleotide sequence encoding a glucosidase II can derive from any species. Glucosidase II genes have been cloned from a number of mammalian species including rat, mouse, pig and human. The glucosidase II protein from these mammalian species consists of an alpha and a beta subunit. The alpha subunit is about 110 kDa and contains the catalytic activity of the enzyme, while the beta subunit has a C-terminal HDEL (SEQ ID NO: 1) ER-retention sequence and is believed to be important for the ER localization of the enzyme. The glucosidase II gene from S. cerevisiae has also been cloned (ORF YBR229c, located on chromosome II). This gene encodes a protein of about 110 kDa, which shows a high degree of homology to the mammalian alpha subunits.

A preferred glucosidase II gene for use in the present vectors is from a fungal species such as Pichia pastoris and S. cerevisiae. An example of a fungal glucosidase II gene is the S. cerevisiae glucosidase II alpha subunit gene.

According to the present invention, the nucleotide sequence can also encode only a functional part of a glucosidase II. By “functional part” is meant a polypeptide fragment of a glucosidase II which substantially retains the enzymatic activity of the full-length protein. By “substantially” is meant at least about 40%, or preferably, at least 50% or more of the enzymatic activity of the full-length glucosidase II is retained. Functional parts of a glucosidase II can be identified and made by those skilled in the art using a variety of techniques known in the art.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the glucosidase II protein is engineered to include an ER retention signal such that the protein expressed in a methylotrophic yeast strain is targeted to the ER and retains therein for function. ER retention signals are as described hereinabove, e.g., the HDEL (SEQ ID NO: 1) peptide sequence.

The glucosidase II for use in the present invention can be further modified, e.g., by insertion of an epitope tag to which antibodies are available, such as Myc, HA, FLAG, and His6 tag, which are well-known in the art.

According to the present invention, the “knock-in” vectors can include either or both of an α-1,2-mannosidase coding sequence and a glucosidase II coding sequence.

Further according to the present invention, the nucleotide sequence coding for the enzyme to be expressed (e.g., an α-1,2-mannosidase or a functional part thereof, or a glucosidase II or a functional part thereof) can be placed in an operable linkage to a promoter and a 3′ termination sequence.

Promoters appropriate for expression of a protein in a methylotrophic yeast can include both constitutive promoters and inducible promoters. Constitutive promoters include e.g., the Pichia pastoris glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase promoter (“the GAP promoter”). Examples of inducible promoters include, e.g., the Pichia pastoris alcohol oxidase I promoter (“the AOXI promoter”) (U.S. Pat. No. 4,855,231), or the Pichia pastoris formaldehyde dehydrogenase promoter (“the FLD promoter”) (Shen et al. Gene 216: 93-102, 1998).

3′ termination sequences are sequences 3′ to the stop codon of a structural gene which function to stabilize the mRNA transcription product of the gene to which the sequence is operably linked, such as sequences which elicit polyadenylation. 3′ termination sequences can be obtained from Pichia or other methylotrophic yeast. Examples of Pichia pastoris 3′ termination sequences useful for the practice of the present invention include termination sequences from the AOX1 gene, p40 gene, HIS4 gene and FLD1 gene.

The vectors of the present invention preferably contain a selectable marker gene. The selectable marker may be any gene which confers a selectable phenotype upon a methylotrophic yeast strain and allows transformed cells to be identified and selected from untransformed cells. The selectable marker system may include an auxotrophic mutant methylotrophic yeast strain and a wild type gene which complements the host's defect. Examples of such systems include the Saccharomyces cerevisiae or Pichia pastoris HIS4 gene which may be used to complement his4 Pichia strains, or the S. cerevisiae or Pichia pastoris ARG4 gene which may be used to complement Pichia pastoris arg mutants. Other selectable marker genes which function in Pichia pastoris include the Zeo^(R) gene, the G418^(R) gene, and the like.

The vectors of the present invention can also include an autonomous replication sequence (ARS). For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,148 describes autonomous replication sequences which provide a suitable means for maintaining plasmids in Pichia pastoris. The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,148 is incorporated herein by reference.

The vectors can also contain selectable marker genes which function in bacteria, as well as sequences responsible for replication and extrachromosomal maintenance in bacteria. Examples of bacterial selectable marker genes include ampicillin resistance (Amp^(r)), tetracycline resistance (Tet^(r)), neomycin resistance, hygromycin resistance, and zeocin resistance (Zeo^(R)) genes.

According to the present invention, the nucleotide sequence encoding the protein to be expressed in a methylotrophic yeast can be placed in an integrative vector or a replicative vector (such as a replicating circular plasmid).

Integrative vectors are disclosed, e.g., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,882,279 which is incorporated herein by reference. Integrative vectors generally include a serially arranged sequence of at least a first insertable DNA fragment, a selectable marker gene, and a second insertable DNA fragment. The first and second insertable DNA fragments are each about 200 nucleotides in length and have nucleotide sequences which are homologous to portions of the genomic DNA of the species to be transformed. A nucleotide sequence containing a structural gene of interest for expression is inserted in this vector between the first and second insertable DNA fragments whether before or after the marker gene. Integrative vectors can be linearized prior to yeast transformation to facilitate the integration of the nucleotide sequence of interest into the host cell genome.

Replicative and integrative vectors carrying either or both of an α-1,2-mannosidase coding sequence or a glucosidase II coding sequence can be constructed by standard techniques known to one of ordinary skill in the art and found, for example, in Sambrook et al. (1989) in Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, or any of a myriad of laboratory manuals on recombinant DNA technology that are widely available.

Preferred vectors of the present invention carrying an α-1,2-mannosidase expression sequence include pGAPZMFManHDEL, pGAPZMFManMycHDEL, pPICZBMFManMycHDEL, pGAPZmManHDEL, pGAPZmMycManHDEL, pPIC9 mMycManHDEL and pGAPZmMycManHDEL, which are further described in the Examples hereinbelow.

Preferred vectors of the present invention carrying a glucosidase II expression sequence include pGAPZAGLSII, pPICZAGLSII, pAOX2ZAGLSII, pYPTIZAGLSII, pGAPADE1glsII, pPICADE1glsII, pAOX2ADE1glsII, pYPTIADE1glsII, pGAP

ZAglsIIHDEL and pGAPADE1glsIIHDEL, which are further described in the Examples hereinbelow.

In another aspect, the present invention provides “knock-out” vectors which, when introduced into a methylotrophic yeast strain, inactivate or disrupt a gene thereby facilitating the reduction in the glycosylation of glycoproteins produced in the methylotrophic yeast strain.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a “knock-out” vector which, when introduced into a methylotrophic yeast strain, inactivates or disrupts the Och1 gene.

The S. cerevisiae OCH1 gene has been cloned (Nakayama et al. EMBO J. 11: 2511-2519, 1992). It encodes a membrane bound α-1,6-mannosyltransferase, localized in the early Golgi complex, that is functional in the initiation of α-1,6-polymannose outer chain addition to the N-linked core oligosaccharide (Man₅GlcNAc₂ and Man₈GlcNAc₂) (Nakanishi-Shindo et al. J. Biol. Chem. 268: 26338-26345, 1993).

A Pichia sequence has been described in Japanese Patent Application No. 07145005 that encodes a protein highly homologous to the S. cerevisiae OCH1. For purpose of the present invention, this sequence is denoted herein as “the Pichia OCH1 gene”. Those skilled in the art can isolate the OCH1 genes from other methylotrophic yeasts using techniques well known in the art.

According to the present invention, a disruption in the OCH1 gene of a methylotrophic yeast can result in either the production of an inactive protein product or no product. The disruption may take the form of an insertion of a heterologous DNA sequence into the coding sequence and/or the deletion of some or all of the coding sequence. Gene disruptions can be generated by homologous recombination essentially as described by Rothstein (in Methods in Enzymology, Wu et al., eds., vol 101:202-211, 1983).

To disrupt the Och1 gene by homologous recombination, an Och1 knock-out vector can be constructed in such a way to include a selectable marker gene. The selectable marker gene is operably linked, at both 5′ and 3′ end, to portions of the Och1 gene of sufficient length to mediate homologous recombination. The selectable marker can be one of any number of genes which either complement host cell auxotrophy or provide antibiotic resistance, including URA3, LEU2 and HIS3 genes. Other suitable selectable markers include the CAT gene, which confers chloramphenicol resistance on yeast cells, or the lacZ gene, which results in blue colonies due to the expression of active β-galactosidase. Linearized DNA fragments of an Och1 knock-out vector are then introduced into host methylotrophic yeast cells using methods well known in the art. Integration of the linear fragments into the genome and the disruption of the Och1 gene can be determined based on the selection marker and can be verified by, for example, Southern Blot analysis.

Alternatively, an Och1 knock-out vector can be constructed in such a way to include a portion of the Och1 gene to be disrupted, which portion is devoid of any Och1 promoter sequence and encodes none or an inactive fragment of the Och1 protein. By “an inactive fragment”, it is meant a fragment of the Och1 protein which has, preferably, less than about 10% and most preferably, about 0% of the activity of the full-length OCH1 protein. Such portion of the OCH1 gene is inserted in a vector in such a way that no known promoter sequence is operably linked to the OCH1 sequence, but that a stop codon and a transcription termination sequence are operably linked to the portion of the Och1 gene. This vector can be subsequently linearized in the portion of the OCH1 sequence and transformed into a methylotrophic yeast strain using any of the methods known in the art. By way of single homologous recombination, this linearized vector is then integrated in the OCH1 gene. Two Och1 sequences are produced in the chromosome as a result of the single homologous recombination. The first Och1 sequence is the portion of the Och1 gene from the vector, which is now under control of the OCH1 promoter of the host methylotrophic yeast, yet cannot produce an active OCH1 protein as such Och1 sequence codes for no or an inactive fragment of the OCH1 protein, as described hereinabove. The second Och1 sequence is a full OCH1 coding sequence, but is not operably linked to any known promoter sequence and thus, no active messenger is expected to be formed for synthesis of an active OCH1 protein. Preferably, an inactivating mutation is introduced in the OCH1 sequence, to the 5′ end of the site of linearization of the vector and to the 3′ end of the translation initiation codon of OCH1. By “inactivating mutation” it is meant a mutation introducing a stop codon, a frameshift mutation or any other mutation causing a disruption of the reading frame. Such mutation can be introduced into an Och1 sequence using any of the site directed mutagenesis methods known in the art. Such inactivating mutation ensures that no functional OCH1 protein can be formed even if there exist some promoter sequences 5′ to the Och1 sequence in the knock-out vector.

A preferred Och1 knock-out vector of the present invention is pBLURA5′PpOCH1.

If desired, either or both of a mannosidase expression sequence and a glucosidase expression sequence can be carried on the same plasmid used to disrupt the OCH1 gene to create a “knock-in-and-knock-out” vector.

Additionally, any of the above-described vectors can further include a nucleotide sequence capable of expressing a glycoprotein of interest in a methylotrophic yeast strain.

Another aspect of the present invention is directed to methods of modifying methylotrophic yeast strains to reduce glycosylation on proteins produced by the methylotrophic yeast strains. In accordance with the present methods, methylotrophic yeast strains are modified by transforming into these yeast strains with one or more, i.e., at least one, knock-in and/or knock-out vectors of the present invention as described herein above.

Methylotrophic yeast strains which can be modified using the present methods include but are not limited to yeast capable of growth on methanol such as yeasts of the genera Candida, Hansenula, Torulopsis, and Pichia. A list of species which are exemplary of this class of yeasts can be found in C. Anthony (1982), The Biochemistry of Methylotrophs, 269. Pichia pastoris, Pichia methanolica, Pichia anomola, Hansenula polymorpha and Candida boidinii are examples of methylotrophic yeasts useful in the practice of the present invention. Preferred methylotrophic yeasts are of the genus Pichia. Especially preferred are Pichia pastoris strains GS115 (NRRL Y-15851); GS 190 (NRRL Y-18014) disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,818,700; PPF1 (NRRL Y-18017) disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,812,405; PPY120H and yGC4; as well as strains derived therefrom.

Methylotrophic yeast strains which can be modified using the present methods also include those methylotrophic yeast strains which have been genetically engineered to express one or more heterologous glycoproteins of interest. The glycosylation on the heterologous glycoproteins expressed from these previously engineered strains can be reduced by transforming such strains with one or more of the vectors of the present invention.

The vectors of the present invention can be introduced into the cells of a methylotrophic yeast strain using known methods such as the spheroplast technique, described by Cregg et al. 1985, or the whole-cell lithium chloride yeast transformation system, Ito et al. Agric. Biol. Chem. 48:341, modified for use in Pichia as described in EP 312,934. Other published methods useful for transformation of the plasmids or linear vectors include U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,555; Hinnen et al. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 75:1929 (1978); Ito et al. J. Bacteriol. 153:163 (1983); U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,231; Sreekrishna et al. Gene 59:115 (1987). Electroporation and PEG1000 whole cell transformation procedures may also be used. Cregg and Russel Methods in Molecular Biology: Pichia Protocols, Chapter 3, Humana Press, Totowa, N.J., pp. 27-39 (1998).

Transformed yeast cells can be selected by using appropriate techniques including but not limited to culturing auxotrophic cells after transformation in the absence of the biochemical product required (due to the cell's auxotrophy), selection for and detection of a new phenotype, or culturing in the presence of an antibiotic which is toxic to the yeast in the absence of a resistance gene contained in the transformants. Transformants can also be selected and/or verified by integration of the expression cassette into the genome, which can be assessed by e.g., Southern Blot or PCR analysis.

In one embodiment, a methylotrophic yeast strain is transformed with a vector which includes a nucleotide sequence coding for an α-1,2-mannosidase or a functional part thereof. The nucleotide sequence is capable of expressing the α-1,2-mannosidase or the functional part in the methylotrophic yeast strain, and is, preferably, integrated into the genome of the methylotrophic yeast strain.

The expression of an α-1,2-mannosidase introduced in a methylotrophic yeast strain can be verified both at the mRNA level, e.g., by Northern Blot analysis, and at the protein level, e.g., by Western Blot analysis. The intracellular localization of the protein can be analyzed by using a variety of techniques, including subcellular fractionation and immunofluorescence experiments. An ER localization of an α-1,2-mannosidase can be determined by co-sedimentation of this enzyme with a known ER resident protein (e.g., Protein Disulfide Isomerase) in a subcellular fractionation experiment. An ER localization can also be determined by an immunofluorescence staining pattern characteristic of ER resident proteins, typically a perinuclear staining pattern.

To confirm that an α-1,2-mannosidase or a functional part thereof expressed in a methylotrophic yeast strain has the expected mannose-trimming activity, both in vitro and in vivo assays can be employed. Typically, an in vitro assay involves digestion of an in vitro synthesized substrate, e.g., Man₈GlcNAc₂, with the enzyme expressed and purified from a methylotrophic yeast strain, and assessing the ability of such enzyme to trim Man₈GlcNAc₂ to, e.g., Man₅GlcNAc₂. In in vivo assays, the α-1,2-mannosidase or a part thereof is co-expressed in a methylotrophic yeast with a glycoprotein known to be glycosylated with N-glycans bearing terminal α-1,2-linked mannose residues in such yeast. The enzymatic activity of such an α-1,2-mannosidase or a part thereof can be measured based on the reduction of the number of α-1,2-linked mannose residues in the structures of the N-glycans of the glycoprotein. In both in vitro and in vivo assays, the composition of a carbohydrate group can be determined using techniques that are well known in the art and are illustrated in the Examples hereinbelow.

In another embodiment, a methylotrophic yeast strain is transformed with a vector which includes a nucleotide sequence coding for a glucosidase II or a functional part thereof. The nucleotide sequence is capable of expressing the glucosidase II or the functional part in the methylotrophic yeast strain, and is, preferably, integrated into the genome of the methylotrophic yeast strain.

The enzymatic activity of a glucosidase II or a functional part thereof expressed in a transformed methylotrophic yeast strain can be assessed using a variety of assays. For example, methylotrophic yeast cells transformed with a sequence encoding a glucosidase II or a part thereof can be set to grow on solid medium containing a substrate of the glucosidase, e.g., 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-α-D-glucopyranoside or 4-MU-α-D-Glc. When the enzyme is expressed by the Pichia and secreted extracellularly, the substrate is acted upon by the enzyme, giving rise to detectable signals around the colonies such as blue color or fluorescent glow. Alternatively, liquid culture medium containing the expressed protein molecules can be collected and incubated in test tubes with a substrate, e.g., p-nitrophenyl-α-D-glucopyranoside. The enzymatic activity can be determined by measuring the specific product released. Moreover, in vivo assays can be employed, where a glucosidase II is co-expressed in yeast with a glycoprotein known to be N-glycosylated with glucose residues, e.g., influenza neuraminidase. The enzymatic activity of the glucosidase II can be measured based on the reduction of the glucose content in the sugar chain(s) of the glycoprotein.

In still another embodiment of the present invention, a methylotrophic yeast strain is transformed with an Och1 knock-out vector. As a result of the transformation and integration of the vector, the genomic Och1 gene in the yeast strains is disrupted.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, a methylotrophic yeast strain is transformed with any combination of an α-1,2-mannosidase expression vector, a glucosidase II expression vector, and an Och1 knock-out vector. Such modification can be achieved by serial, consecutive transformations, i.e., introducing one vector at a time, or alternatively by co-transformation, i.e., introducing the vectors simultaneously.

The modified methylotrophic yeast strains described herein above can be further modified if desired. For example, additional disruption of genes encoding any other Pichia mannosyltransferases can be made. Genes encoding mammalian enzymes can also be introduced to produce glycoproteins having hybrid- or complex-type N-glycans, if desired.

Methylotrophic yeast strains which are modified by using the present methods, i.e., by transforming with one or more of the vectors of the present invention, form another embodiment of the present invention.

It should be understood that certain aspects of the present invention, especially the introduction of an intracellularly expressed α-1,2-mannosidase activity, are also useful to obtain a reduced glycosylation of the O-linked glycans on glycoproteins produced in a methylotrophic yeast, as it is known in the art that these O-linked glycans consist mainly of α-1,2-linked mannose residues. O-linked glycans as used herein refers to carbohydrate structures linked to serine or threonine residues of glycoproteins.

A further aspect of the invention is directed to methods of producing a glycoprotein with reduced glycosylation in a methylotrophic yeast, especially a glycoprotein heterologous to the methylotrophic yeast.

“A glycoprotein” as used herein refers to a protein which, in methylotrophic yeasts, is either glycosylated on one or more asparagines residues or on one or more serine or threonine residues, or on both asparagines and serine or threonine residues.

The term “reduced glycosylation” refers to a reduced size of the carbohydrate moiety on the glycoprotein, particularly with fewer mannose residues, when the glycoprotein is expressed in a methylotrophic yeast strain which has been modified in accordance with the present invention, as compared to a wild type, unmodified strain of the methylotrophic yeast.

In accordance with the present invention, the production of a glycoprotein of interest with reduced glycosylation can be achieved in a number of ways. A nucleotide sequence capable of expressing a glycoprotein can be introduced into a methylotrophic yeast strain which has been previously modified in accordance with the present invention, i.e., a strain transformed with one or more of the vectors of the present invention and capable of producing glycoproteins with reduced glycosylation. Alternatively, a methylotrophic yeast strain which has already been genetically engineered to express a glycoprotein can be transformed with one or more of the vectors of the present invention. Otherwise, if a methylotrophic yeast strain does not express a glycoprotein of interest, nor is the strain transformed with any of the vectors of the present invention, such yeast strain can be transformed, either consecutively or simultaneously, with both a nucleotide sequence capable of expressing the glycoprotein and one or more vectors of the present invention. Additionally, a methylotrophic yeast strain can be transformed with one or more of the present knock-in and/or knock-out vectors which also include a nucleotide sequence capable of expressing a glycoprotein in the methylotrophic yeast strain.

The nucleotide sequence capable of expressing a glycoprotein in a methylotrophic yeast can be made to include from 5′ to 3′, a promoter, a sequence encoding the glycoprotein, and a 3′ termination sequence. Promoters and 3′ termination sequences which are suitable for expression of a glycoprotein can include any of those promoters and 3′ termination sequences described hereinabove.

The nucleotide sequence for expression of a glycoprotein can include additional sequences, e.g., signal sequences coding for transit peptides when secretion of a protein product is desired. Such sequences are widely known, readily available and include Saccharomyces cerevisiae alpha mating factor prepro (αmf), Pichia pastoris acid phosphatase (PHO1) signal sequence and the like.

The nucleotide sequence for expression of a glycoprotein can be placed on a replicative vector or an integrative vector. The choice and construction of such vectors are as described hereinabove.

The nucleotide sequence capable of expressing a glycoprotein can be carried on the same replicative plasmid as a plasmid-borne α-1,2-mannosidase or glucosidase II expression unit. Alternatively, the nucleotide sequence containing the glycoprotein coding sequence is carried on a separate plasmid or integrated into the host genome.

Glycoproteins produced can be purified by conventional methods. Purification protocols can be determined by the nature of the specific protein to be purified. Such determination is within the ordinary level of skill in the art. For example, the cell culture medium is separated from the cells and the protein secreted from the cells can be isolated from the medium by routine isolation techniques such as precipitation, immunoadsorption, fractionation or a variety of chromatographic methods.

Glycoproteins which can be produced by the methods of the present invention include, e.g., Bacillus amyloliquefaciens α-amylase, S. cerevisiae invertase, Trypanosoma cruzi trans-sialidase, HIV envelope protein, influenza virus A haemagglutinin, influenza neuraminidase, Bovine herpes virus type-1 glycoprotein D, human angiostatin, human B7-1, B7-2 and B-7 receptor CTLA-4, human tissue factor, growth factors (e.g., platelet-derived growth factor), tissue plasminogen activator, plasminogen activator inhibitor-I, urokinase, human lysosomal proteins such as α-galactosidase, plasminogen, thrombin, factor XIII and immunoglobulins. For additional useful glycoproteins which can be expressed in the genetically engineered Pichia strains of the present invention, see Bretthauer and Castellino, Biotechnol. Appl. Biochem. 30: 193-200 (1999), and Kukuruzinska et al. Ann Rev. Biochem. 56: 915-44 (1987).

Glycoproteins produced by using the methods of the present invention, i.e., glycoproteins with reduced glycosylation, are also part of the present invention.

Still another aspect of the present invention provides kits which contain one or more of the knock-in vectors, knock-out vectors, or knock-in-and-knock-out vectors of the present invention described above. More particularly, a kit of the present invention contains a vector capable of expressing an α-mannosidase I in a methylotrophic yeast, a vector capable of expressing a glucosidase II in a methylotrophic yeast, a vector capable of disrupting the Och1 gene in a methylotrophic yeast, a vector capable of expressing both a glucosidase II and an α-mannosidase, a vector a vector capable of disrupting the Och1 gene and capable of expressing either or both of a glucosidase II and an α-mannosidase, or any combinations thereof.

The kit can also include a nucleotide sequence which encodes and is capable of expressing a heterologous glycoprotein of interest. Such nucleotide sequence can be provided in a separate vector or in the same vector which contains sequences for knocking-in or knocking out as described hereinabove.

In addition, the kit can include a plasmid vector in which a nucleotide sequence encoding a heterologous protein of interest can be subsequently inserted for transformation into and expression in a methylotrophic yeast. Alternatively, the knock-in or knock-out vectors in the kits have convenient cloning sites for insertion of a nucleotide sequence encoding a heterologous protein of interest.

The kit can also include a methylotrophic yeast strain which can be subsequently transformed with any of the knock-in, knock-out or knock-in-and-knock-out vectors described hereinabove. The kit can also include a methylotrophic yeast strain which has been transformed with one or more of the knock-in or knock-out vectors. Furthermore, the kit can include a methylotrophic yeast strain which has been transformed with a nucleotide sequence encoding and capable of expressing a heterologous glycoprotein of interest.

The present invention is further illustrated by the following examples.

Example 1 Introduction of α-1,2-Mannosidase to the ER-Golgi Border 1.1 Plasmids

Plasmid Promoter Enzyme Tag pGAPZMFManHDEL GAP T. reesei — α-1,2-mannosidase pGAPZMFManMycHDEL GAP T. reesei Myc α-1,2-mannosidase pPICZBMFManMycHDEL AOX1 T. reesei Myc α-1,2-mannosidase pGAPZMFmManHDEL GAP mouse mannosidase IB — catalytic domain pGAPZMFmMycManHDEL GAP mouse mannosidase IB Myc catalytic domain

The Trichoderma reesei α-1,2-mannosidase gene has been isolated and described by Maras et al. (J. Biotechnol. 77; 255-263, 2000). The sequence of this gene is available at NCBI Genbank under Accession No. AF212153. A construction fragment was generated by PCR using the pPIC9MFmanase plasmid (same as pPP1MFmds1 described by Maras et al. (2000)) as the template and using the following oligonucleotide primers: 5′-GACTGGTTCCAATTGACAAGC-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 2) and 5′-AGTCTAGATTACAACTCGTCGTGAGCAAGGTGGCCGCCCCG TCG-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 3). The resulting product contained the 3′ end of the Pichia pastoris AOXI promoter, the prepro-signal sequence of the S. cerevisiae α-mating factor, the open reading frame of the Trichoderma reesei α-1,2-mannosidase cloned in frame with the signal sequence, the coding sequence for HDEL (SEQ ID NO: 1), a stop codon and an Xba I restriction site. This fragment was digested with Eco RI and Xba I, removing the 5′ sequences up to the mannosidase ORF, and then cloned into the vector pGAPZαA (Invitrogen, Baarn, The Netherlands) which had been digested with Eco RI and Xba I, thus restoring the fusion with the S. cerevisiae α-mating factor signal sequence. The resulting plasmid was named pGAPZMFManHDEL and is graphically depicted in FIG. 1. The ORF sequence of the MFManHDEL fusion in pGAPZMFManHDEL is set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14.

In order to introduce the coding sequence for a c-Myc tag between the catalytic domain and the HDEL-signal (SEQ ID NO: 1), the 3′ end of the ORF of T. reesei α-1,2-mannosidase was PCR-amplified using a sense primer 5′-CCATTGAGGACGCATGCCGCGCC-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 4) (containing an Sph I restriction site) and an antisense primer GTATCTAGATTACAACTCGTCGTGCAGATCCTCTTCTGAGATGAGTTTTTGTTC AGCAAGGTGGCCGCCCCGTCGTGATGATGAA (SEQ ID NO: 5) (containing the coding sequences of the c-Myc tag and the HDEL (SEQ ID NO: 1) signal, followed by a stop codon and an Xba I restriction site). The resulting PCR product was digested with Sph I and Xba I, purified by agarose gel electrophoresis and inserted into pGAPZMFManHDEL which had been cut with the same restriction enzymes, resulting in plasmid pGAPZMFManMycHDEL. To put the ORF of pGAPZMFManMycHDEL under the control of the inducible AOXI promoter, the entire ORF was liberated from pGAPZMFManMycHDEL with Bst BI and Xba I, and cloned in pPICZB (Invitrogen, Baarn, The Netherlands), resulting in pPICZBMFManMycHDEL.

Cloning of the mouse mannosidase IB catalytic domain with concomitant addition of the coding sequence for a C-terminal HDEL-tag (SEQ ID NO: 1) was done by PCR on a mouse cDNA library (mRNA isolated from the L929 cell line induced with cycloheximide and mouse Tumor Necrosis Factor. Average insert length of the cDNA library was 2000 bp). The PCR oligonucleotide primers used were: 5′AACTCGAGATGGACTCTTCAAAACACAAACGC3′ (SEQ ID NO: 6) and 5′TTGCGGCCGCTTACAACTCGTCGTGTCGGACAGCAGGATTACCTGA3′ (SEQ ID NO: 7). The product contained a 5′ Xho I site and the coding sequence for C-terminal HDEL-site, followed by a stop codon and a Not I site at the 3′ end. The product was cloned in pGAPZαA via the Xho I/Not I sites in the PCR product and the vector, resulting in an in frame fusion of the mouse mannosidase catalytic domain with the S. cerevisiae α-mating factor signal sequence. The sequence of the entire open reading frame generated is set forth in SEQ ID NO: 15.

1.2 Yeast Transformation and Genomic Integration

TABLE 2 Parental strain DNA transformed GS115 (his4) pGAPZMFManHDEL pPIC9MFManHDEL pPIC9mManHDEL pPIC9mMycManHDEL pGAPZmManHDEL pGAPZmMycManHDEL GS115 (his4 complemented by pGAPZMFManHDEL pPIC9InfluenzaHA) pGAPZmManHDEL pGAPZmMycManHDEL PPY120H (his4 complemented by pGAPZMFManMycHDEL pPIC9sOCH1) pPICZBMFManMycHDEL yGC4 (his4 arg1 ade2 ura3 pPIC9InfluenzaNeuraminidase complemented by pGAPZMFManHDEL pBLURA5′PpOCH1) pPIC9Glucoseoxidase

All transformations to Pichia pastoris were performed with electroporation according to the directions of Invitrogen. Transformants of vectors carrying the Zeocin resistance gene were selected on YPD containing 100 μg/ml Zeocine (Invitrogen, Baarn, the Netherlands) and 1M sorbitol. Selection of transformants of pPIC9 derivatives was done on minimal medium lacking histidine and containing 1M sorbitol. Genomic integration of the expression cassettes was verified using PCR on genomic DNA purified from the Pichia strains using the Yeast Miniprep method (Nucleon). In all cases concerning the Trichoderma reesei gene fusions, the primers used were the sense primer 5′-CCATTGAGGACGCATGCCGCGCC-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 8), which annealed to the 3′ half of the mannosidase ORF, and the antisense primer 3′ AOXI 5′-GCAAATGGCATTCTGACATCCT-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 9), which annealed to the AOXI transcription terminator that was present in all our expression constructs. For the control of genomic integration of the mouse mannosidase transgenes, PCR was done using the sense primer 5′GAP 5′GTCCCTATTTCAATCAATTGAA3′ (SEQ ID NO: 10, annealing to the GAP promoter or 5′AOXI 5′GACTGGTTCCAATTGACAAGC3′ (SEQ ID NO: 11), annealing to AOXI promoter), and the antisense primer 3′AOXI (above). For the expression constructs containing a Myc tagged Trichoderma reesei α-1,2-mannosidase expression unit, further evidence for genomic integration was obtained using Southern Blotting with the entire MFManMycHDEL ORF (³²P labelled using HighPrime, Boehringer Mannheim) as a probe.

1.3 Expression of α-1,2-mannosidase

Expression of an α-1,2-Mannosidase in GS115 strains expressing influenza virus haemagglutinin was verified by qualitative Northern blot. Expression of an α-1,2-Mannosidase in PPY120H strains was verified by anti-Myc Western blot.

Qualitative Northern Blot—

Total RNA was purified from Pichia strains and the yield was determined spectrophotometrically. Northern blotting was performed according to standard procedures and an estimate of the quantity of RNA loaded was made using methylene blue staining of the blot, visualizing the rRNA bands. The blot was probed with a ClaI/NarI fragment of the mannosidase, labelled with ³²P using HighPrime (Boehringer Mannheim).

SDS-PAGE and Western Blotting—

Total yeast cell lysates were prepared by washing the cells twice with PBS, followed by boiling in 1 volume of 2× concentrated Laemmli loading buffer for 5 min. The lysate was spun briefly in a microcentrifuge prior to gel loading and only the supernatant was loaded. For the analysis of proteins secreted into the growth media, the proteins were precipitated from 200 μl of these media using desoxycholate/trichloroacetic acid according to standard procedures. The pellet was redissolved in 2× concentrated Laemmli loading buffer and the solutions were pH-corrected using Tris. SDS-PAGE was performed and followed by semidry electroblotting to nitrocellulose membranes. For Western Blotting, the 9E10 anti-Myc and the anti-HA mouse monoclonals (Boehringer Mannheim) were used at a concentration of 1 μg/ml, and the rabbit anti-PDI antiserum (Stressgen) was used at a dilution of 1/500. The secondary antibodies were goat anti-mouse IgG conjugated to alkaline phosphatase for the monoclonals and goat anti-rabbit IgG conjugated to peroxidase for the polyclonal (secondary antibodies from Sigma). Detection was performed using the NBT/BCIP system for alkaline phosphatase and the Renaissance substrate (NENBiosciences) for peroxidase. Imaging of the latter blot result was done on a Lumilager imaging device (Boehringer Mannheim).

The results shown in FIG. 4 indicated that the great majority of the HDEL (SEQ ID NO: 1)-tagged protein was retained intracellularly, both when expressed from the strong constitutive GAP promoter and when expressed from the strong inducible AOXI promoter.

1.4 Localization of α-1,2-Mannosidase

Isopycnic Sucrose Density Gradient Centrifugation—

To determine the localization of the HDEL (SEQ ID NO: 1)-tagged mannosidase, subcellular fractionation was carried out using cells expressing the mannosidase-Myc-HDEL from the strong constitutive GAP promoter.

Briefly, 0.5 g of wet weight yeast cells were lysed using 4×1 min vortexing with 4.5 g glass beads in 1 ml lysis-buffer (50 mM Tris-HCL pH 7.5 containing 0.6 M sorbitol, 10 mM β-mercaptoethanol and 5 mM MgCl₂). Between vortexing periods, the mixture was placed on ice for 5 min. The supernatant was collected and the glass beads were washed once with lysis-buffer, and the supernatant of this washing step was added to the first supernatant. This lysate was subjected to a differential centrifugation procedure. The P10000 pellet was solubilized in 0.5 ml of a 60% sucrose solution in lysis buffer. This solution was placed at the bottom of an Ultraclear ultracentrifuge tube (Beckman) of 14×89 mm. Subsequently, 1.5 ml each of sucrose solutions of 55, 50, 45, 42.5, 40, and 37.5% were carefully layered over each other. The tube was filled to the edge with 35% sucrose. Isopycnic sucrose gradient centrifugation was performed for 14 h at 180,000 g in a Beckman SW 41 rotor in a Beckman Model L8-70 preparative ultracentrifuge. After completion, 1 ml fractions were collected from the top and partially dialysed from excess sucrose, evaporated to dryness in a vacuum centrifuge. After redissolving the pellet in Laemmli buffer, the samples were subjected to SDS-PAGE in triplicate and the Western blots were treated with anti-HA, anti-Myc or anti-PDI (“PDI” for Protein Disulfide Isomerase), respectively.

The results illustrated almost exact cosedimentation of the MFManMycHDEL protein with the Protein Disulfide Isomerase marker protein (which is also targeted with a HDEL (SEQ ID NO: 1) signal sequence) (FIG. 5). In the same assay, the HA-tagged OCH1 was distributed over the whole gradient, with the highest abundance in fractions having a density lower than that of the fractions containing the mannosidase and the PDI. This result indicated that the mannosidase was targeted to the expected location (the ER-Golgi boundary) by the addition of an HDEL (SEQ ID NO: 1) signal. In contrast, the mannosidase without HDEL (SEQ ID NO: 1), expressed from inducible alcohol oxidase I promoter (which was of comparable strength as the GAP promoter), was secreted at a high level of about 20 mg/l.

Immunofluorescence Microscopy—

To confirm the correct targeting of the mannosidase-Myc-HDEL, an immunofluorescence microscopy experiment was performed. Briefly, yeast cultures were grown to OD₆₀₀ in YPD (for pGAPZMFManMycHDEL) or in YMP following a YPGlycerol growth phase for pPICZBMFManMycHDEL. Formaldehyde was added to the yeast cultures to a final concentration of 4% and incubated for 10 min at room temperature. Cells were pelleted and resuspended in 50 mM potassium phosphate buffer pH 6.5 containing 1 mM MgCl₂ and 4% formaldehyde and incubated for 2 h at room temperature. After pelleting, the cells were resuspended to an OD₆₀₀=10 in 100 mM potassium phosphate buffer pH 7.5 containing 1 mM MgCl₂ and EDTA-free Complete™ protease inhibitor cocktail (Boehringer Mannheim). To 100 μl of cell suspension, 0.6 μl of β-mercapto-ethanol and 200 of 20,000 U/ml Zymolyase 100T (ICN) were added, followed by a 25 minute incubation with gentle shaking. The cells were washed twice in the incubation buffer and added to poly-lysine coated cover slips (these are prepared using adhesive rings normally in use for reinforcing perforations in paper). Excess liquid was blotted with a cotton swab and the cells were allowed to dry at 20° C. All blocking, antibody incubation and washing steps are performed in PBS containing 0.05% bovine serum albumin. Primary antibodies are used at 2 μg/μl and secondary antibodies conjugated to fluorophores (Molecular probes) were used at 5 μg/μl. The nucleus was stained with the nucleic acid stain HOECHST 33258. After fixation and cell wall permeabilization, the integrity of the yeast cell morphology was checked in phase contrast microscopy and after immunostaining, the slides were examined under a Zeiss Axiophot fluororesensce microscope equipped with a Kodak digital camera. Images were processed using Macprobe 4.0 software and prepared with Corel Photopaint 9.0.

The Golgi marker protein OCH1-HA gave the typical Golgi staining pattern described in the literature (speckle-like staining). Staining with the 9E10 monoclonal anti-Myc antibody, recognizing mannosidase-Myc-HDEL, gave a perinuclear staining pattern with some disparate staining in the cytoplasm, highly indicative for an ER targeting (FIG. 4).

Based on the foregoing experiments, it is concluded that the Trichoderma reesei mannosidase-Myc-HDEL was targeted to the ER-Golgi boundary.

Example 2 Co-Expression of Mannosidase-HDEL with Recombinant Glycoproteins

Co-expression of Mannosidase-HDEL with the Trypanosoma cruzi trans-Sialidase

The cloning of a Trypanosoma cruzi trans-sialidase gene coding for an active trans-sialidase member without the C-terminal repeat domain has been described by Laroy et al. (Protein Expression and Purification 20: 389, 2000) which is incorporated herein by reference. The sequence of this Trypanosoma cruzi trans-sialidase gene is available through NCBI Genbank under the Accession No. AJ276679. For expression in P. pastoris, the entire gene was cloned in pHILD2 (Invitrogen, San Diego, Calif.), creating pHILD2-TS. To allow better secretion, pPIC9-TS was created in which trans-sialidase was linked to the prepro secretion signal of the yeast α-mating factor. Plasmids pPIC9-TSE and pCAGGS-prepro-TSE were created where the epitope E-tag was added to the C-terminal of the trans-sialidase to allow easy detection and purification. The construction of pHILD2-TS, pPIC9-TSE and pCAGGS-prepro-TSE has been described by Laroy et al. (2000), incorporated herein by reference. The vectors used in the construction were made available through for pCAGGS (No. LMBP 2453), Invitrogen, San Diego, Calif. for pHILD2 and pPIC9, and Pharmacia Biotech for pCANTAB-5E.

Plasmid pPIC9-TSE was linearized with SstI and was transformed into P. P pastoris GS115 (his4) strain by electroporation according to the manufacturer's instructions (Invitrogen). One of the transformants was further transformed with plasmid pGAPZMFManHDEL, establishing a strain co-expressing Mannosidase-HDEL and the Trypanosoma cruzi trans-sialidase.

Fermentation and protein purification was according to the procedures described by Laroy et al. (2000).

Purified trans-sialidase was subject to carbohydrate analysis according to Callewaert et al., Glycobiology 11, 4, 275-281, 2001. Briefly, the glycoproteins were bound to the PVDF membrane in the wells of a 96-well plate, reduced, alkylated and submitted to peptide-N-glycosidase F deglycosylation. The glycans were derivatised with 8-amino-1,3,6-pyrenetrisulfonic acid by reductive amination. Subsequently, the excess free label was removed using Sephadex G10-packed spin columns and the glycans were analysed by electrophoresis on a 36 cm sequencing gel on an ABI 377A DNA-sequencer and detected using the built-in argon laser. Digests with 3 mU/ml purified T. reesei α-1,2-mannosidase (described by Maras et al., J. Biotechnol. 77, 255-63, 2000) were also performed in 20 mM sodium acetate pH=5.0. The glycans derived from 1 μg of the purified recombinant glycoproteins were used as the substrate. 1 U of the α-1,2-mannosidase is defined as the amount of enzyme that releases 1 μmol of mannose from baker's yeast mannan per minute at 37° C. and pH=5.0.

As can be seen in FIG. 6, panel B, the major N-glycan on trans-sialidase was Man₈GlcNAc₂ (Compare with panel F, representing an analysis of the N-glycans of bovine RNAseB. The one but last peak in this profile is Man₈GlcNAc₂, the first peak is Man₅GlcNAc₂). In vitro, this glycan was digestible to Man₅GlcNAc₂ with α-1,2-mannosidase (FIG. 6, panel C). In the N-glycan profile of the trans-sialidase co-expressed with mannosidase-HDEL, the major peak corresponded to Man₅GlcNAc₂ (FIG. 6, panel D).

Co-Expression of Mannosidase-HDEL with the Influenza a Virus Haemagglutinin

The Influenza A virus haemagglutinin was known to be glycosylated in Pichia pastoris with high-mannose N-glycans containing 9-12 mannose residues (Saelens et al. Eur. J. Biochem. 260: 166-175, 1999). The effect of a co-expressed mannosidase on the N-glycans of the haemagglutinin was assessed in an N-glycan profiling method described below. In addition, to compare the efficiency of the Trichoderma enzyme (having a temperature optimum of 60° C.) with a mammalian mannosidase having a temperature optimum of 37° C., the catalytic domain of the mouse mannosidase IB from a mouse cDNA-library was cloned and tagged with a HDEL signal by PCR amplification. This ORF was cloned after the prepro-signal sequence of the S. cerevisiae α-mating factor under the control of the GAP promoter. Expression of the mannosidase-HDEL transgenes on the mRNA level was confirmed by qualitative Northern blotting.

The haemagglutinin was expressed and purified from a non-mannosidase expressing control strain and from a strains co-expressing the Trichoderma reesei mannosidase-HDEL or the mouse mannosidase IB-HDEL according to the procedure described by Kulakosky et al. Glycobiology 8: 741-745 (1998). The purified haemagglutin was subjected to PNGase F digestion as described by Saelens et al. Eur. J. Biochem. 260: 166-175, 1999. The proteins and glycans were precipitated with 3 volumes of ice-cold acetone and the glycans were extracted from the pellet with 60% methanol. Following vacuum evaporation, the glycans were labeled with 8-amino-1,3,6 pyrenetrisulfonic acid by adding 1 μl of a 1:1 mixture of 20 mM APTS in 1.2M citric acid and 1M N_(a)CNBH₃ in DMSO and incubating for 16 h at 37° C. at the bottom of a 250 μl PCR-tube. The reaction was stopped by the addition of 10 μl deionized water and the mixture was loaded on a 1.2 cm Sephadex G10 bed packed to dryness in a microspin-column by centrifugation in a swinging bucket rotor, which provided for a flat resin surface. After loading, 50 μl deionised water was carefully added to the resin bed and the spin column was briefly centrifuged for 5 seconds at 750 g in a tabletop centrifuge. This elution process was repeated twice and all the eluates were pooled and evaporated to dryness in a Speedvac vacuum centrifuge (Savant). The labeled glycans were reconstituted in 1.5 μl gel loading buffer containing 50% formamide and 0.5 μl Genescan 500™, labeled with rhodamine (Perkin Elmer Bioscience), serving as an internal reference standard. This mixture was loaded on a DNA-sequencing gel containing 10% of a 19:1 mixture of acrylamide:bisacrylamide (Biorad, Hercules, Calif., USA) and made up in the standard DNA-sequencing buffer (89 mM Tris, 89 mM borate, 2.2 mM EDTA). Polymerization of the gel was catalyzed by the addition of 200 μl 10% ammononiumpersulfate solution in water and 20 μl TEMED. The gel was of the standard 36 cm well-to-read length and was run on an Applied Biosystems Model 373A DNA-sequencing apparatus. Prerunning of the gel was done at 1000 V for 15 min. and after loading, the gel was electrophoresed for 8 h at 1250 V without heating. This methodology gives a limit of detection of 10 fmol per peak. The data were analysed with Genescan 3.0 software.

As shown in FIG. 7, the Trichoderma reesei α-1,2-mannosidase provided the most complete reduction in the number of α-1,2-mannoses present on the N-glycans. The N-glycan processing by mouse mannosidase IB-HDEL was less efficient than by the Trichoderma reesei α-1,2-mannosidase.

Despite the efficient removal of α-1,2-mannoses from the N-glycans of haemagglutinin, no Man₅GlcNAc₂ was obtained. Even after digestion of the N-glycans with 3 mU of purified Trichoderma reesei α-1,2-mannosidase, only Man₆GlcNAc₂ was obtained as the smallest sugar chain. These results indicated that the remaining residues were possibly α1,6-linked mannoses, originating from the initiating OCH1 α-1,6-mannosyltransferase enzymatic activities. OCH1 was observed to be localized to very early part of the Golgi apparatus and could act on the N-glycans of haemagglutinin before complete digestion of the Man₈GlcNAc₂ precursor to Man₅GlcNAc₂ by the mannosidases-HDEL. Thus, for proteins whose glycans are efficiently modified by the α1,6-mannosyltransferase, an inactivation of the OCH1 gene coding for the transferase would be desirable in order to obtain proteins with Man₅GlcNAc₂.

Example 3 Inactivation of the Pichia Och1 Gene

A Pichia pastoris sequence was found in the GenBank under Accession No. E12456 and was described in Japanese Patent Application No. 07145005, incorporated herein by reference. This sequence shows all typical features of an α-1,6-mannosyltransferase and is most homologous to the S. cerevisiae OCH1, thus referred to herein as the Pichia pastoris Och1 gene.

First, the full ORF of the Pichia pastoris Och1 gene was PCR cloned in pUC18 to obtain plasmid pUC18pOch1. pUC18pOch1 was cut with HindIII, blunt-ended with T4 polymerase, then cut with XbaI, releasing a fragment containing the 5′ part of the Pichia pastoris Och1 gene. This fragment was ligated into the vector pBLURA IX (available from the Keck Graduate Institute, Dr. James Cregg, which had been cut with Eco RI, blunt-ended with T4 polymerase, and then cut with Nhe I. This ligation generated pBLURA5′PpPCH1, as shown in FIG. 8.

Disruption of this Pichia OCH1 gene in the Pichia genome was achieved by single homologous recombination using pBLURA5′PpOCH1, as illustrated in FIG. 9. As a result of the single homologous recombination, the Och1 gene on the Pichia chromosome was replaced with two Och1 sequences: one consisted only about the first one third of the full Och1 ORF, the other had a full Och1 ORF without a Och1 promoter. Single homologous recombination was achieved as follows. Cells of the Pichia strain yGC4 were transformed by electroporation with pBLURA5′PpOCH1 which had been linearized with the single cutter Bst BI. About 500 transformants were obtained on minimal medium containing 1M sorbitol, biotin, arginine, adenine and histidine and incubation at 27° C. Thirty-two of these transformants were picked and re-selected under the same conditions. Twelve clones were further analyzed for correct genomic integration of the cassette by PCR. Seven of the twelve URA prototrophic clones contained the cassette in the correct locus.

One of the Och1-inactivated clones was also further transformed with pGAPZMFManHDEL to produce “supertransformants”. Both the Och1-inactivated clone and three supertransformants also expressing the ManHDEL were evaluated in cell wall glycan analysis as follows. Yeast cells were grown in 10 ml YPD to an OD₆₀₀=2 and mannoproteins were prepared by autoclaving the yeast cells in 20 mM sodium citrate buffer pH7 for 90 min at 120° C. and recovery of the supernatant after centrifugation. Proteins were precipitated from this supernatant with 3 volumes of cold methanol. The protein preparation obtained in this way was used for N-glycan analysis using DSA-FACE as described by Callewaert et al. (2001) Glycobiology 11, 275-281. As shown in FIG. 10, there was an increased amount of Man₈GlcNAc₂ glycan in the Och1-inactivanted clone as compared to parent strain yGC4, indicative of a reduced activity of the Och1 enzyme. In all three supertransformants which also expressed the HDEL (SEQ ID NO: 1)-tagged α-1,2 mannosidase, the production of Man₅GlcNAc₂ was observed. Furthermore, upon digestion of the same glycan mixtures with 3 mU/ml purified recombinant Trichoderma reesei α-1,2-mannosidase, more Man₅GlcNAc₂ was formed in the strain transformed with pBLURA5′PpOCH1 than in the parent strain (FIG. 11, compare panel 2 and 3).

These results confirmed that the lack of a production of Man₅ glycans on recombinantly produced proteins such as haemagglutinin from cells expressing α-1,2-mannosidase were due to the activity of the Och1 protein. These results further indicate that the production of glycoproteins with Man₅ glycans could be facilitated by the inactivation of the Och1 gene.

Example 4 Expression of Glucosidase II in Pichia pastoris

4.1 Amplification of the GLSII Alpha Subunit ORF from S. cerevisiae.

Genomic DNA was prepared from the S. cerevisiae strain INVS (α, leu2-3, 112 h is 3Δ1, trp1-289, ura3-52), using the Nucleon kit (Amersham). A touch-down PCR reaction was performed using this genomic DNA as template and the LA TaKaRa polymerase (ImTec Diagnostics). The sequence of the PCR primers was based on the known sequence of the S. cerevisiae GLSII ORF:

Sense primer: (SEQ ID NO: 12) 5′ CCG CTC GAG ATG GTC CTT TTG AAA TGG CTC 3′           Xho I Antisense primer: (SEQ ID NO: 13) 5′ CCG GGC CCA AAA ATA ACT TCC CAA TCT TCA G 3′        Apa I 4.2 Cloning of the S. cerevisiae Glucosidase II ORF into Pichia pastoris Expression Vectors.

Construction of the Glucosidase II Expression Vectors—

The PCR fragment was digested with Xho I/Apa I and ligated into the pGAPZA vector (Invitrogen), thereby placing the ORF under the transcriptional control of the GAP promoter. Using this strategy, the myc and the His6 tag were placed in frame to the C-terminus of Glucosidase II, creating pGAPZAGLSII. The complete ORF of pGAPZAGLSII was then sequenced to ensure that no mutations were generated in the PCR reaction. The sequence of the vector pGAPZAGLSII was set forth in SEQ ID NO: 18. The GLSII ORF from the pGAPZAGLSII vector was cloned into vector pPICZA (Invitrogen) to create pPICZAGLSII, thereby placing the ORF under the transcriptional control of the AOXI promoter. The GLSII ORF from the pGAPZAGLSII vector was cloned into vector pAOX2ZA, thereby placing the ORF under the transcriptional control of the AOX2 promoter. This vector was created by replacing the multi cloning site of vector pAOX2ZB with the multi cloning site of pPICZA. Vector pAOX2ZB was generated by replacing the AOX1 promotor of pPICZB by the AOX2 promotor region of the AOX2 gene (Martinet et al., Biotechnology Letters 21). The AOX2 promotor region was generated by PCR on Pichia genomic DNA with the sense primer 5′GACGAGATCTTTTTTTCAGACCATATGACCGG 3′ (SEQ ID NO: 26) and the antisense primer 5′GCGGAATTCTTTTCTCAGTTGATTTGTTTGT 3′ (SEQ ID NO: 27). The GLSII ORF from the pGAPZGLSII vector was cloned into vector pYPT1ZA to create pYPTIZAGLSII, thereby placing the ORF under the transcriptional control of the YPT1 promoter. Vector pYPTZA was created by replacing the AOX1 promoter of pPICZA by the YPT1 promoter present on the plasmid pIB3 (GenBank accession number AF027960)(Sears et al., Yeast 14, pg 783-790, 1998). All constructs contain the phleomycin resistance gene. The resulting final expression vectors (pGAPZAGLSII, pAOX2ZAGLSII, pPICZAGLSII and pYPT1ZAGLSII) are depicted in FIGS. 12-15.

Similar expression vectors were constructed, carrying the Ampicillin resistance marker and the Pichia ADE1 selection marker. In principle, the Zeocin resistance expression cassette of the plasmids pAOX2ZAGLSII, pGAPZAGLSII and pYPT1ZAGLSII was replaced by the Ampicillin and Pichia ADE1 cassette of the vector pBLADE IX (Cregg, J. M.) to result in the vectors pAOX2ADE1glsII, pGAPADE1glsII and pYPT1ADE1glsII. Vector pPICADE1glsII was obtained by inserting the glucosidase II open reading frame into the multiple cloning site of the vector pBLADE IX (Cregg, J. M.). The resulting final expression vectors (pGAPADE1glsII, pAOX2ADE1glsII, pPICADE1glsII and pYPT1ADE1glsII) are depicted in FIGS. 16-20.

Adding the ER Retention Tag HDEL to Glucosidase II Expression Vectors—

The following primers were used to generate an HDEL-containing PCR fragment:

Primer 1: (SEQ ID NO: 28) 5′GCG GGT CGA C/ CA C/GA C/GA A/CT G/TG A/GT TTT          Sal I   H    D    E    L    stop AGC CTT AGA CAT GAC 3′ Primer 2: (SEQ ID NO: 29) 5′CAG GAG CAAA GCT CGT ACG AG 3′                      Spl I

PCR was performed on pGAPZAGLSII with Taq pol., at 60° C. The PCR fragment of 225 bp was cut with Sal I/Spl I and ligated into the Sal I/Spl I opened pGAPZAGLSII vector, creating plasmid pGAPZAglsIIHDEL. The sequence of plasmid pGAPZAglsIIHDEL is set forth in SEQ ID NO: 24. The construction strategy and the resulting final expression vectors (pGAPZAglsIIHDEL and pGAPADE1glsIIHDEL) are depicted in FIGS. 20-21.

4.3 Transformation of a Pichia pastoris Strain.

Transformation was performed using the conventional electroporation techniques, as described by Invitrogen. Cells of the Pichia pastoris strain PPY12-OH were transformed with pGAPZGLSII which had been cut with the single cutter Avr II. Transformants were selected based on their resistance to zeocin.

Genomic Analysis of the Transformants—

Genomic DNA was prepared from some zeocin resistant Pichia transformants. A PCR reaction was performed on the genomic DNA in order to determine whether or not the glucosidase II gene was integrated into the yeast genome. PCR was performed using Taq DNA polymerase (Boehinger) (2.5 mM MgCl₂, 55° C. for annealing). The primers were the same as the ones we used for the amplification of the ORF on S. cerevisiae genomic DNA. pGAPZAGLSII transformants were confirmed by the presence of a specific PCR product indicative of the glucosidase II ORF.

4.4 Expression and Secretion of the S. Cerevisiae Glucosidase II Alpha Subunit in Pichia pastoris

Analysis at the Transcriptional Level—

RNA was prepared from the transformants which scored positive after the genomic analysis. RNA was prepared using acid phenol. From each sample, 15 μg of RNA was loaded on a formaldehyde agarose gel. After electrophoresis the RNA was blotted on a Hybond N membrane. The membrane was hybridizing using a radioactive probe, which consists of a 344 bp glucosidase II specific fragment, corresponding to the 3′ region of the glucosidase II ORF. No signals were detected with non-transformed control strains, whereas clear signals were observed with transformants.

Analysis at the Protein Level Using a Double Membrane Assay—

A nitrocellulose membrane was placed on a buffered dextrose medium (BMDY). On top of that nitrocellulose membrane, a cellulose acetate membrane was placed. Pichia transformants of pGAPZAGLSII were streaked on the cellulose acetate and grown for a few days. The yeast cells remained on the cellulose acetate, while the secreted proteins crossed this membrane. As such the secreted protein was captured onto the nitrocellulose membrane. After a few days the cellulose acetate, containing the yeast colonies, was removed. The nitrocellulose membrane was analyzed for the presence of glucosidase II using anti-myc antibody. Most of the transformants gave a clear signal as compared to a faint, hardly visible signal with the WT, non-transformed strain.

Extracellular Expression—

PPY12-OH transformants of the construct pGAPZAGLSII(mychis6) (strains 12, 14 and 18) and transformants of the construct pGAPZAGLSII(myc)HDEL (strains H1, H2 and H3) were grown for 2 days on 2×10 ml BMDY medium. These 6 transformants earlier scored positive both on the genomic level (PCR on gDNA) and on the RNA level (Northern blot). The culture medium was collected by centrifugation and concentrated with Vivaspin columns to about 1 ml. Proteins from this concentrate were precipitated with TCA, resuspended in Laemmli buffer and loaded for SDS-PAGE analysis. Proteins were blotted to nitrocellulose membrane. The blot was incubated overnight with anti-myc Ab. The secondary Ab was linked to peroxidase. Using the Renaissance luminiscence detection kit (NEN) and a light sensitive film (Kodak), a strong band at about 110 kDa was observed for the transformants 12, 14 and 18, indicating that GLSII was expressed and secreted from these transformants. No signal was obtained for the transformants H1-3, which indicate that the HDEL (SEQ ID NO: 1) tag, which was added C-terminally to the GLSII ORF, resulted in an ER localization of the protein, preventing GLSII to be secreted into the growth medium.

Intracellular Expression—

The 6 transformants and the WT strain were grown for 2 days in 500 ml BMDY. The cells were collected by centrifugation, washed, resuspended into a minimal volume (50 mM Tris.HCl pH 7.5, 5% glycerol) and broken using glass beads. The cell debris was removed through several centrifugation steps (low speed centrifugation (2000-3000 g)). Membranes were obtained from the supernatant through ultracentrifugation. The pellets were resuspended in Laemmli buffer and loaded for SDS-PAGE analysis. The proteins were blotted on a nitrocellulose membrane. The intracellular GLSII expression was checked using anti-myc Ab and peroxidase conjugated secondary Ab. Following the luminescence detection, a band at about 110 kDA was observed with the GLSIIHDEL tranformants (H1 and H3, faint signal for H2), but not with the WT and GLSII expression strains. These results clearly indicate the intracellular presence of the recombinant GLSII when expressed with a C-terminal HDEL (SEQ ID NO: 1) tag. No GLSII was detected intracellularly when this tag was not present.

4.5 Purification and Activity Assays of the Recombinant Glucosidase II Alpha Submit

A GLSII assay was set up as follows and was tested using a commercially available yeast alpha-glucosidase (Sigma) as a positive control.

Composition: 70 μl 80 mM phosphate-citrate buffer pH 6.8, 7 μl 250 mM mannose, 3.5 μl 250 mM 2-deoxy-D-glucose, 0.8 μl 4-MeUmbelliferyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside (1 μM). Three assays were performed: one with 1 unit commercial enzyme, one without the enzyme and one with the enzyme but without the substrate. The assay mixture was incubated overnight at 30° C. When illuminated with UV, only the reaction mixture with both the enzyme and the substrate showed fluorescence (FIG. 22). This indicates that the assay was very specific in detecting the activity of the alpha-glucosidase.

WT PPY12-OH, strain 18 and strain H3 were grown during 2 days in 2×10 ml growth medium. Cells were spun down and medium was adjusted to 300 mM NaCl and 10 mM imidazol and concentrated with Vivaspin columns to 0.5-1 ml. Medium was loaded onto a Ni-NTA spin column (Qiagen) and the purification was performed according to the manufactures recommendations. Protein was eluted from the column in 2×100 μl elution buffer (50 mM NaH₂PO₄, 300 mM NaCl, 250 mM imidazol pH 8.0). From each eluate, 20 μl was assayed for its glucosidase II activity. 0.33 units of the commercial enzyme diluted in 20 μl of the elution buffer was used as a positive control. Fluorescence was observed with the positive control and the elute of strain 18, the strain which secreted the enzyme into the growth medium. These results indicate that the recombinant S. cerevisiae GLSII alpha subunit, secreted by Pichia pastoris, was a functionally active enzyme. The activity was not seen in the WT (untransformed) strain, nor in strain H3 as the GLSII was expressed intracellularly (FIG. 23). These results also indicate that the beta subunit is not necessary for the functionality of the alpha part of the protein.

Example 5 Creating Pichia Strains Expressing Both Glucosidase II and Mannosidase

Strain GS 115 was transformed with pGAPZGLSII and pGAPZglsIIHDEL. Transformants were selected on YPDSzeo.

Strain yGC4 was transformed with the following constructs, respectively:

(1) pGAPADEglsII and pGAPADEglsIIHDEL, selection on synthetic sorbitol medium without adenine;

(2) pGAPZMFManHDEL: selection on YPDSzeo; and

(3) pGAPZMFManHDEL/pGAPADEglsIIHDEL: selection on synthetic sorbitol medium without adenine and with zeocin.

Strain yGC4 with OCH1 knock-in and expressing MFmannosidaseHDEL was transformed with pGAPADEglsII and pGAPADEglsIIHDEL. Selection of transformants was done on synthetic sorbitol medium without adenine and uracil.

For all transformations, colonies were obtained. Transformants with the expression vector(s) integrated into the genome, determined by PCR, were obtained. Expression of GLSII from some of these transformants was observed. 

1. A genetically engineered methylotrophic yeast strain, which lacks a functional enzyme involved in production of high mannose structures, and expresses at least one exogenous enzyme for production of Man₅GlcNAc₂, wherein said enzyme involved in production of high mannose structures is α-1,6-mannosyltransferase encoded by the OCH1 gene, said at least one enzyme for production of Man₅GlcNAc₂ is α-1,2-mannosidase or an enzymatically active fragment thereof.
 2. The strain of claim 1, wherein said enzyme is of a fungal origin or a mammalian origin.
 3. The strain of claim 1, wherein said enzyme for production of Man₅GlcNAc₂ is targeted to the ER.
 4. The strain of claim 3, wherein the targeting of said enzyme to the ER is achieved by engineering said enzyme to include the ER retention signal as set forth in SEQ ID NO:
 1. 5. The strain of claim 1, wherein said strain produces Man₅GlcNAc₂ as a predominant N-glycan structure or a predominant intermediate N-glycan structure.
 6. The strain of claim 1, wherein said methylotrophic yeast is of the genera Candida, Hansenula, Torulopsis, or Pichia.
 7. A method for producing a glycoprotein with reduced hyperglycosylation in methylotrophic yeast, comprising providing a methylotrophic yeast strain, which lacks a functional enzyme involved in production of high mannose structures, and expresses at least one exogenous enzyme for production of Man₅GlcNAc₂, wherein said enzyme involved in production of high mannose structures is α-1,6-mannosyltransferase encoded by the OCH1 gene, said at least one enzyme for production of Man₅GlcNAc₂ is α-1,2-mannosidase or an enzymatically active fragment thereof.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein said enzyme is of a fungal origin or a mammalian origin.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein said enzyme for production of Man₅GlcNAc₂ is targeted to the ER.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the targeting of said enzyme to the ER is achieved by engineering said enzyme to include the ER retention signal as set forth in SEQ ID NO:
 1. 11. The method of claim 7, wherein said strain produces Man₅GlcNAc₂ as a predominant N-glycan structure or a predominant intermediate N-glycan structure.
 12. The method of claim 7, wherein said methylotrophic yeast is of the genera Candida, Hansenula, Torulopsis, or Pichia. 